The Endless War
by Lord Mesron
Summary: Revenge is a dish best served cold. 500 years cold. *** repost, 2/23/08, with additions throughout story ***


Title: The Endless War

Author: Lord Mesron (aka Scott R. Barnett)

E-mail: none

Pairings: B/X, W/O

Rating: FR18 or M

Crossover: BTVS & Highlander

Warnings: Character deaths

Feedback: Always appreciated, though no flames please.

Archive: Twisting the Hellmouth. Please e-mail me for permission if you want to archive elsewhere.

Disclaimer: The characters from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer show belong to WB (and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and Joss Whedon. The Highlander characters belong to Rysher Entertainment. I claim no rights to copyrighted material. The others are original characters created by me.

Summary: Revenge is a dish best served cold. 500 years cold.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 15, 2499

"Oz, I'm heading to my quarters. Have a good shift." said General Alexander Harris.

"Ok Xander. See you in eight." said General Daniel 'Oz' Osborne.

Xander walked out of the command center. The guards at the door saluted him. He returned the salute. He continued down the hallway of their headquarters and got into the elevator. He took the elevator up one level.

There he walked down the hall to a set of double doors. There was a guard on either side of the doors. They came to attention and saluted him. Xander returned the salute. One of the guards reached over and opened the door for him. He walked in and the door closed behind him. He walked down the length of a long wooden table that was in the center of the room. When he got to the end of it he took his customary seat. This was the boardroom of WOTL Inc. They were supposedly a security firm. What they really did was fight the evil that was out there. WOTL stood for Warriors of the Light and Xander and Oz had founded it, and had been leading them, for the past 475 years. Oz's seat was at the other end. The rest of the chairs were for the various department heads and military commanders that ran the operation below Xander and Oz.

Xander turned his chair around and looked at the various pictures that lined the walls of the large room. There were a lot of them. After he was done he stopped at three pictures that were larger than the others and were situated directly behind his chair. He just sat and stared at them.

He was tired. He was more than tired. He was plain exhausted. He was exhausted from having to fight this fight for the past 500 plus years. It seemed that it never ended. In fact he had taken to calling it The Endless War. He only did this in private though. He didn't want to hurt the morale of the troops.

He just sat there for a long time thinking and softly crying. Slowly his mind was drawn back to that fateful day almost five hundred years ago when his and Oz's lives had changed forever. Graduation Day 1999 of Sunnydale High.

Sunnydale High School  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 20, 1999

The Scoobies were having a final meeting in the school library before the graduation ceremony and their battle with the mayor. There was a lot of nervousness in the air.

Sitting around the table were the people that were going to lead the fight. Giles sat at the head of the table. Next to him sat Willow and Oz. On the other side sat Buffy and Xander. Ever since the spell had failed to give Angel back his soul, Xander and Buffy had gotten close. They had even gone to the prom together. In fact last night they had shared a special night together. So had Willow and Oz.

In just a few hours they would face their worst battle yet. Not only did they have to face the mayor as a demon, they also had to face Angelus, a truly evil vampire. Luckily, Buffy had put Faith into a coma, so they didn't have to face her as well. Their chances were not good, but they had to try.

The accession had begun. The eclipse had started a couple of minutes prior and now the mayor was beginning to change. Pretty soon he had taken the form of a huge snake. He was snatching up students left and right. Behind them Angelus was leading a horde of vampires towards them to keep them contained for the mayor.

Suddenly Buffy shouted for Xander to take charge. He directed the archer units in front to fire on the mayor. He then ordered the ones in the rear to light up their arrows and fire into the vamps. He continued this for a while before Buffy ordered him to concentrate on the vamps.

Buffy then pulled out the knife she used on Faith and got the mayor's attention with it. She led the mayor into the school's library where they had enough explosives to hopefully kill the demon. Buffy raced through the library and jumped out a back window. Just as she cleared the windowsill she yelled for Giles to detonate the explosives.

This is where it all fell to pieces. You see, Giles could not detonate the explosives. The reason was that he was dead. Angelus had found him there and had drained him. He had left the body for Buffy to find.

When Buffy didn't hear the explosives go off she looked over to where Giles was. What she saw tore her apart. Her beloved Watcher's body propped up against a tree next to the control box. It was obvious that he was dead. Buffy raced over to him, but there was nothing she could do. She tried to set off the explosives herself. But before she could the mayor broke through the wall and snatched her up. With one chomp of his powerful jaws, Buffy was gone. The mayor then spit out her broken body onto the ground. He wanted to leave her there as an example.

Xander, fearing something had gone wrong, raced around the side of the building just in time to see the mayor drop Buffy's body. With one glance he could tell she was dead. He also saw that Giles was as well. With a scream of anguish Xander picked up the crossbow that Giles had had with him and started firing several bolts at the mayor. In the back of his mind he knew that they would do no good, but he was too angry for that to stop him. Just as the mayor was about to grab him his last bolt missed the mayor and flew into the building where most of the mayor's body still was.

What happened next is anyone's guess. Somehow that bolt must have set off one of the charges in the library. That charge went off causing the others to explode. When the combined charges went off it tore apart the mayor. It also threw Xander about 100 feet into a tree. He crashed against it and dropped like a limp rag. If anyone were to see his body they would know instantly he was dead.

Around the other side of the school there was still a fierce battle going on. Students, led by Oz, were going hand-to-hand with the vampires. They were losing a lot of students to the fight. All of the sudden they heard a piercing scream. Oz looked in the direction of the scream and what he saw froze his blood. Angelus stood there with a triumphant grin on his face holding the limp, drained body of Willow. Oz growled in anger and fought his way towards Angelus. Unfortunately too many vamps got in his way. By the time he got there, Angelus was gone. All he could do was slump to the ground by the body of his beloved Willow. He never even noticed the vampire that came at him from behind. The vamp grabbed him and drained him. As he was dying he finally heard the explosives going off. He just hoped they were enough to kill the mayor.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 15, 2499

Outside the boardroom the two guards stood there. It was very quiet around them due to it being nighttime. They could hear the soft crying coming through the doors. The younger looking guard, a Private, turned to the older one, a Sergeant.

"Is General Harris crying?" asked an incredulous Private.

"Probably." replied the Sergeant.

"The General? Why would he be crying?"

"You haven't been with us very long, have you?"

"No Sgt. I just joined a couple of months ago."

"Do you know what day it is?"

"Yes Sgt. It is the 15th of June."

"Very good. That makes it five days before June 20th. Now what happened five hundred years ago on that day?"

"The ascension of Mayor Wilkins and the destruction of the old Sunnydale High School."

"True. What also happened were the deaths of three of the greatest fighters our side has ever had. You've seen the pictures on the wall in there, haven't you?"

"Yes Sgt."

"Do you know who they are?"

"I guess they were heroes."

"That they were. Most of them were Slayers. There is a portrait of almost every Slayer for the last five hundred years in that room, and throughout the complex. There are also portraits of Watchers and others that fought for our side. You do know that our research department, in England, traces their legacy back to the old Council of Watchers, right?"

"Yes Sgt. That was all covered in the orientation."

"Good. Well, did you notice that there were three portraits in a place of honor directly behind General Harris's chair? That these three were larger than any other portrait within the base?"

"Yes Sgt. Who were they?"

"They were the three that I spoke of a moment ago. The gentleman was one of the greatest Watchers of all times. His name was Rupert Giles. The blonde girl was his Slayer, Buffy Summers. She has gone down in history as one of the greatest Slayers of all times. The redheaded girl was her best friend, Willow Rosenberg. She had one of the sharpest minds our side has ever seen. She was a fledgling witch, though had great potential within her. She was also a crack researcher and computer hacker. She fought along side Slayer Summers from almost the beginning and was extremely loyal to her. The three of them lost their lives while leading the battle trying to defeat Mayor Wilkins and the vampire army led by Angelus."

"Wow! Why would General Harris be crying over them though? That happened five hundred years ago."

"You'll also see General Osborne come in here as well at times and hear him softly crying too. Especially during this time of the year. It is because those two were there. They saw their friends being massacred. The Generals were part of the famed Scooby gang and fought along side those three. Also, General Osborne was in love with Miss Rosenberg and General Harris was in love with Miss Summers. Mr. Giles was like a father to the four of them. It was General Harris that fired the crossbow bolt that finally set off the explosives that killed the demon, when he found both Mr. Giles and Slayer Summers dead. The resulting explosion threw him back about a hundred feet and killed him as well. As for General Osborne, he had to watch the vampire Angelus kill his love, Miss Rosenberg, and not be able to get there in time to stop it. By the time he got there Angelus was gone and Miss Rosenberg was dead. A vampire killed him while he sat there mourning his dead love."

"How can they be here now if they died then? Also, that would make them over five hundred years old."

"That it would. Have you not heard of Immortals? That was their first deaths. Both of the Generals are Immortals. They hadn't known it at the time, though."

"Oh. That's why they're so young looking. They've been fighting this fight for that long?"

"Yes they have. They founded WOTL in fact. They are also the ones that convinced the Council of Watchers to ally themselves with us. They are two of the best fighters our side has in this battle. Now you also know why this building is called the Giles-Summers-Rosenberg Building."

"Wow!"

"Now that I have explained this to you, I am ordering you to never discuss the Generals' actions within this room. I will not see their private moments be fodder for the gossip mill. If it wasn't for these two men I would probably be dead now. They had led the squad that pulled me, and several others, from the grasps of Angelus's vampires. We were to be sacrifices in a ritual that would have brought a first circle demon to earth. As soon as I recovered from my wounds I joined up and have loyally served them ever since."

"Yes Sgt. I will not speak of this to anyone."

"Thank you."

A couple of hours later Xander walked out of the room and took the elevator up to his penthouse suite. There were two suites up there. Xander had one of them and Oz had the other. He walked into his bedroom and got ready for bed.

At exactly eight o'clock the next morning Xander walked back into the command center. He was washed and dressed in a fresh uniform. He walked over to Oz's desk.

"I'm relieving you Oz. Anything happen while I was asleep?"

"Nothing more than the usual. Squad A finished their clean-up work in Dallas, Squads B & C and Slayer Franklin are about to take out that nest in Tempe, AZ, and Squad D is still scouting out the possible nest near Washington D.C.. Squad A is on their way back for debriefing and rest. Unfortunately they lost two men and one more is wounded."

"Okay. Go get some rest yourself. You look like you can use it."

"See you in eight, Xander."

Oz saluted the two guards at the door of the command center as he walked out. He then took the elevator up to his place and picked up his guitar. He took the guitar with him down to the boardroom level. After returning the guards' salutes he walked into the boardroom and closed the door behind him.

He sat down in his chair and started looking around the room. He finished this when he got to the three large portraits directly ahead of him. He sat back in his chair and started strumming his guitar. While he was strumming he closed his eyes and let his mind drift. It slowly drifted back to that fateful day, 500 years ago.

Sunnydale High School  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 20, 1999

As Oz came to he heard a lot of activity going on around him. It took a moment to remember what had happened. That's when it suddenly hit him.

'Why was he still alive? He could have sworn that that vampire was killing him. Had he been turned?' he thought.

He looked himself over and found that he was still wearing his cross. He touched it and it didn't burn. He assumed from this then that he had not been turned. He reached up to his neck and couldn't kind the holes from where the vampire bit him. That was strange, as he clearly remembered being bit. Suddenly someone walked up to him and he got a major headache. He looked up at the person and the headache went away.

"Who are you?" asked Oz.

"My name is Methos. We need to get you out of here. Once we are safe I can explain to you what has happened to you." said Methos.

"Ok. I need to see if my friends survived first, though." said Oz.

"Fine, let's get going." said Methos

As Oz was getting up he glanced at the body lying in front of him. It was Willow. He just collapsed when he saw her lying there. Methos had to help him up.

"We have to get out of here. I'm sorry, but there is nothing you can do for her now. We'll claim her body from the morgue later and give her a proper funeral. Whatever you want to do." said Methos, chafing at the delay.

He walked Oz away from the main courtyard. As they turned the corner towards the destroyed library Oz spotted Giles and Buffy's bodies.

"Oh God! That's why the explosives didn't go off when they should have." said Oz.

Suddenly they heard a loud moan from nearby. They walked towards it and found Xander just coming to from where he lay by a tree. Once again the headache returned. It appeared that Xander had a similar one.

"Look at me Xander." said Oz.

Xander looked up and the headache went away.

"What happened? I should be dead. I remember shooting crossbow bolts at the mayor and one of them must have triggered the explosives. The next thing I remember I was flying through the air and smashing into this tree. After that there was nothing." said Xander.

"I'll explain it to you and your friend here when we get somewhere safe." said Methos.

Suddenly Xander bolted up and raced back to where Buffy and Giles lay. He fell to his knees in front of their bodies and cried. Methos and Oz followed him back.

"You must come with us now. We'll recover them from the morgue later and give them whatever burial you want. Wait here and I'll make sure that the coroner knows they're here." said Methos.

He walked back around and talked quickly to one of the ambulance attendants. He then walked back to the two boys.

"Ok, they know to collect these two as well. Let's get out of here and I'll explain it all." said Methos.

A few hours later they found themselves in a hotel room on the outskirts of town. The two boys were sitting on one of the beds in shock from what Methos had just told them. He had just explained to them about them being Immortals, and what it entailed. He also explained about the Game.

He told them that he was here because of them. He belonged to an organization called the Society of Watchers and they had sent him to look into reports of two pre-immortals here in Sunnydale. He explained to them exactly what the Society was.

He then left them to mourn their lost friends while he went out to make some arrangements of some sort. The two boys lay back on the beds and cried for their lost friends and loves. They cried themselves to sleep. Methos found them that way when he came back several hours later.

The next morning Methos was sitting at the table when the two boys woke up. He was on the phone.

"Yes, Duncan, we'll be there in three days. We need to take care of the funerals for their three friends. I know we should leave now, but I'm sure they will refuse until after we bury them. You didn't see them when they found their bodies. I did. They were almost unable to move from such grief. Let Joe know I'll have a report for him when I get back. See you soon." said Methos. He hung up the phone.

Methos turned towards the beds and saw that they were up.

"Good morning. I bought you some clothes to change into. Go ahead and get washed and dressed and then we have much to do." said Methos.

About a half hour later the two boys were ready to go. Over breakfast at a local diner Methos explained that he would take them on as students, but they had to move to Seacouver, WA. He explained to them that they would go after the funerals.

Three days later Xander and Oz were on their way to Seacouver with Methos. Within the last couple of days they had buried their three friends. With Methos's help they had secured three spots together in a nice spot on a hill in the cemetery where they would bury all three next to each other. They made the funeral arrangements with Buffy's mother and Willow's parents. None of them questioned the placement of the graves. The burials were the day before yesterday. It was a combined funeral for all three of them. They had both a minister and a Rabbi there for it.

Yesterday the guys spent time with their families. They had told them that after all that had happened they had to get away from Sunnydale for a while. Oz and Xander did not tell their families anything about being Immortals. They bade them farewell this morning.

The three of them arrived in Seacouver by two in the afternoon. They pulled up to a building that had a sign on it that said DeSalvo's Gym. Inside they met the proprietor, a fellow Immortal, Duncan MacLeod. They also met his student, Richie Ryan and his girlfriend, the Immortal thief Amanda. A little while later an older gentleman walked in and was introduced as the head of the North American branch of the Society of Watchers. His name was Joe Dawson. He gave them his sympathies on what had happened. They thanked him and the others when they offered theirs after they heard the story of what had taken place in Sunnydale.

They spent the next several hours telling their new friends all about their fight over the last three years. The Immortals were shocked that they had accomplished so much. It turned out that Methos, Duncan and Amanda were aware of vampires and demons. They had all encountered them in the past.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 16, 2499

Oz had since returned back to his suite. He had gotten a few hours sleep before getting up, washed and dressed in a fresh uniform. He then walked out of his suite and got into the elevator and took it to the command level. He walked into the command center and up to Xander's desk.

"Evening Xander. Want to go get some dinner?"

"Sure. Colonel Johnson!"

"Yes Sir."

"You're in charge. General Osborne and I are going for dinner."

"Yes Sir."

Oz and Xander walked out of the command center and took the elevator down to the street level. They walked out of the building and down the street to their favorite restaurant. When they walked in they were seated right away. A nice perk for keeping the town safe. In the 475 years that WOTL had been in business, Sunnydale had actually become a safe place to live. There were almost no vampires or demons in Sunnydale anymore.

They placed their orders and then were left alone. They talked for a while. Pretty soon their dinners were delivered and then they were left alone again.

After dinner they walked back to their complex and took the elevator back up to the command center. They each entered their own private offices to catch up on some paper work.

While Xander was working on the paper work he once again let his mind wander back to those early days.

DeSalvo's Gym  
Seacouver, WA  
June 25, 2003

Xander and Oz had spent the last four years in Seacouver training with Methos and Duncan. They had also been attending college at the local branch campus of the University of Washington.

They had graduated from college yesterday. All of their friends had come to the ceremony. They had both studied History and Mythology, specifically that which was related to demonology and prophecies. They had also decided to take some ROTC courses that would help them with their fighting skills.

Xander and Oz finished packing up their belongings into the van that they had purchased. They were leaving Seacouver today. They planned to go on the road for a while, hunting demons.

Methos, Duncan, Richie, Joe and Amanda came by to see them off.

"Good luck guys. Remember to stop by now and then and say hi." said Methos.

"We will. Thanks for everything that you did for us." said Xander.

They got in to the van and drove off, heading south. Their first stop was Sunnydale. The guys knew that there was a new Slayer and Watcher based on the Hellmouth. They had heard through the grapevine that the Watchers had gotten a court order to pull the plug on Faith about three and a half years ago. They needed to do this to activate another Slayer. Buffy's death had not done so as her original one, at the hands of the Master, had activated Kendra. After that she was no longer in the chain of succession. Actually the current Slayer was the third one since Faith's death. The first one had lasted a year. The second one lasted about a year and a half. Now the third one has been there for a little over a year.

When they got into Sunnydale they drove to the new High School. It had been built down the block from the old one. The old one still sat there in ruins. There was a lot of debate ragging over what to do with the site.

They got out of their van and walked into the school. They made their way down to the library. It seemed that the Watchers liked to use librarians as covers. This new Watcher had taken over the spot left vacant upon Giles's death. They were happy to see that the library was named the Rupert Giles Memorial Library. It made them feel good inside.

They walked in and saw that no one seemed to be around. Then they heard someone walking out of the stacks. It was a middle-aged lady with auburn hair. She wore a professional looking blouse and skirt combination with a jacket. They walked up to her.

"Can I help you?" asked the lady.

"Maybe. Are you Miss Witherspoon?" asked Xander.

"Yes, and you are?" asked Miss Witherspoon.

"My name is Xander Harris and this is Oz Osborne. We used to work with your predecessor, Rupert Giles." said Xander.

"Ah. I remember reading in Mr. Giles's diaries about you two. I know that it is late, but I wish to extend my sympathies to you." said Miss Witherspoon.

"Thank you. It is very much appreciated." said Oz.

"What can I do for you gentleman?" asked Miss Witherspoon.

"Well, we actually came to see if you could use some help. We know that your current Slayer is the third one since the death of Faith. We would be willing to help you and her out for a little while before we move on." said Xander.

"That help would be much appreciated. If we are going to be working together, please call me Emily." said Emily.

"Not a problem. What is your Slayer's name?" asked Oz.

"It is Rene' Smith. She will be here after school. She is sixteen." replied Emily.

"We'll catch up with her tonight on her patrol. We have to arrange for a place to stay right now. Please let her know about us." said Xander.

"I will." said Emily.

They shook hands and Xander and Oz left the school. After spending a few hours renting and setting up an apartment they went to the cemetery where the three were buried.

It was just before sunset when they walked into the cemetery. They were armed with several wooden stakes and their swords. They were wearing long leather dusters, which hid the swords from view.

They slowly made their way to the hill where the three graves were. They walked up to them carrying several flowers. Xander walked up to Willow's grave and after a few words he placed a yellow rose of friendship on it. He then did the same with Giles's grave. He then walked over to Buffy's grave. There he placed a red rose to signify his love for her.

While he was doing this Oz had started with Buffy's grave. He had placed a yellow rose on both Buffy and Giles's graves. He then placed a red one on Willow's. After this the two men knelt down in front of the graves and silently reminisced about the times they had shared with these three people.

About ten minutes later they stood up and looked around. It was now dark out and they were keeping an eye out for vamps. They also were looking for the Slayer.

Pretty soon they spotted a young brunette standing about twenty feet away watching them. They walked over to her. Xander looked out the corner of his eye at Oz. Oz slightly shook his head. Xander slightly nodded his back. What had happened was that Xander had silently asked Oz if this was a vampire. Oz had replied that it was not. Xander had replied that he had received the reply. Oz's werewolf senses can now be used to determine whether someone is a vampire or not.

Over the four years they had spent in Seacouver, Oz had finally gained full control over his wolf side. He now could control the wolf and the change. He could also use his wolf senses in his human state.

They walked up to the girl and Xander stuck out his hand.

"Hello, I'm Xander and that's Oz. You must be Rene'." said Xander.

"Yes I am. Good to meet you two. Emily told me where you would probably be." said Rene'.

They continued their talk while they patrolled. They found and slayed three vamps that night.

The next day, after school, Oz and Xander sat down with Emily and Rene' and they talked about the past with Buffy and Giles. They also discussed the tactics that Emily and Rene' were using. Xander and Oz suggested some changes that they felt would help them.

They then assisted in the training. They were able to point out a few things that Rene' needed to work on.

About two hours later the four of them met up at Weatherly Park and patrolled together. While they were walking around Oz or Xander would point out a spot and tell a story about it.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 16, 2499

"Sir!" said Colonel Johnson. He had just entered Xander's office.

Xander quickly brought his mind back to the here and now.

"Yes Colonel?"

"We have a preliminary report on that nest near Washington D.C. from Squad D. They believe that it may be connected to Angelus."

"Angelus? Tell them to be extremely careful and to try to confirm it. Have them let us know as soon as possible. What about the nest in Tempe?"

"Slayer Franklin and Squads B & C are cleaning it out now. So far it is going well."

"Very good. Dismissed."

Xander then got up and walked over to Oz's office. He walked in and sat down in front of his desk.

"Oz, Squad D thinks that the nest near Washington D.C. might be connected to Angelus. I told them to try to confirm it."

"Ok."

Xander then got up and walked back to his office.

'Angelus! I hope it is him. I want that murderer.' thought Oz.

Oz closed his eyes and visualized adding a third jar on the shelf in the boardroom. Currently there were two jars located on a shelf in the boardroom. They were the dusty remains of Spike and Druisilla. They had gotten Druisilla a little over three hundred and fifty years ago. Spike, they had finally staked about two hundred years ago. Their dream was to make it three jars, by adding Angelus's ashes to the collection.

Oz especially wanted Angelus. He wanted revenge on him for the murder of his true love, Willow. Both he and Xander would join the raid if this were confirmed to be Angelus's nest. Oz knew that Xander hated Angelus just as much as he did for what the vampire had put Buffy through. Buffy Summers, Xander's true love.

Before he knew it, Oz was once again swept back into his memories of long ago.

Sunnydale, CA  
June 28, 2005

"Are you sure you have to go?" asked Rene'.

"Yes honey, we're sure. You have a good group backing you up now. You and Emily will do fine. We'll keep in touch." said Xander.

Rene' had just graduated from high school and was looking forward to attending college in the fall. Several of her friends had found out about her in the last two years, and just like the original Slayerettes, they had joined her fight.

It was the day after graduation and Xander and Oz were leaving Sunnydale. They had spent the last two years helping Rene' and Emily. They had become like big brothers to the Slayer and she was sad to see them leave.

They had to leave though. The Slayer and Watcher had good control over what was happening on the Hellmouth. It was now time for the guys to hit the road and help out in other places. They had been following the national news and had flagged several places around the country that appeared to them to be hotspots for demonic activity. They were heading out to see if they couldn't put an end to it.

Both Xander and Oz gave Rene' a kiss on the cheek while they hugged her. They then shook hands with Emily and the others in the group. After this they got into their van and pulled away. They would make one last stop at the graves before they left Sunnydale, as they did not know when they would get back here next. Emily had promised them that she would make sure that they were taken care of. She knew how important that was to the two men.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 18, 2499

It was two days later when word finally reached WOTL headquarters that Angelus was confirmed to be operating out of the nest near Washington D.C. When they got the word Xander and Oz called a board meeting.

They walked in together and everyone in there rose to their feet.

"At ease ladies and gentleman." said Xander.

Before they sat down in their seats they walked over to the Slayer and each gave her a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"We're glad that you're alright, Abi." said Xander. Oz just smiled at the girl.

Abi smiled lovingly back at the two generals. It was a familial type of love. One that a little sister might direct at a big brother. They then took their seats at each end of the table and Abi sat down next to her Watcher. The others in the room didn't say a word. Most of them were smiling at the display of affection, though. They all knew how the two generals always treated the Slayers. These were special girls, which unfortunately tended to be on the front lines of their fight. This usually meant that their lives tended to be too short and they usually died very badly. This was why the two men tried to let them know how special they were while they lived. They had been like big brothers to almost every Slayer since Buffy. They had adored all of the girls, like sisters, during the last 500 years.

"Colonel Johnson, please give us the field report from Squad D." asked Oz.

"Yes Sir. Squad leader Higgins reports that they have positively identified the vampire Angelus as the master of the nest near Washington D.C. They do not yet know what his plans are though. They report that he has approximately 60 vampires with him." said Colonel Johnson.

"Thank you Colonel. What is the status of our other squads?" asked Oz.

"Squads A, B and C are all back on base Sir. As Watcher Richardson and Slayer Franklin can attest, the nest clearing in Tempe went exceedingly well. We had no fatalities, and only one man seriously wounded. He will be out of action for several weeks according to the doctors." said Colonel Johnson.

"How about Squads E and F, Colonel?" asked Xander.

"They are still onsite in Cairo. They are busy cleaning up after that raid on the Rukna demons. Major Simmons just submitted his field report. Per the Major, it was hard fighting, but they managed to win. All of the Rukna demons are dead; they did suffer one casualty, though. The soldier, a Sgt. Daniels, fell to a Rukna demon while trying to keep them from killing the hostages. Several of the hostages have spoken of his bravery and skill to the Major. The body is on its way back now Sir." reported Colonel Johnson.

"Very good. The fallen soldier will receive an honorable burial at the organization's expense. Major Green, will you take care of this?" said Xander.

"Yes Sir. I knew the good Sergeant and am not surprised that he gave his life to protect the hostages. He was good man." said Major Green.

"Very good. Thank you. Any other business to discuss?" asked Xander.

They discussed several other items before they were done.

"Alright everyone, Squads A, B and C will join Squad D for the raid of the Washington D.C. nest. Slayer Franklin and Watcher Richardson will also join in on the raid. General Osborne and I will lead this raid personally." said Xander.

After some further discussion Oz got everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone, this meeting is done. We leave for D.C. tomorrow at 0900 hours. You are all dismissed." said Oz.

Everyone, but Xander and Oz left. The two of them waited until everyone else had left the room before talking.

"I want Angelus, Xander! I want him bad." said Oz.

"I know you do Oz. So do I. This time we will get him. You and I are going to lead that raid. We will get him. I swear this to you." said Xander.

Oz just nodded his head at Xander. The two men just sat there in companionable silence and let their minds drift.

Sunnydale, CA  
July 15, 2024

Xander and Oz were back in Sunnydale. It had been 19 years since they were here. The first thing that they had done when they returned was to visit the graves. Emily had kept her word; the graves were well taken care of. They then visited with Emily. She had since retired, but was still living in Sunnydale. She introduced them to the new Watcher and Slayer team. They knew from the grapevine about the death of Rene' at the hands of a Polgara demon. They also knew that this new Slayer was actually the seventh one since Rene'. They had mourned Rene's death when they had heard. When they were at the cemetery earlier they had visited her grave as well.

The two men were now standing in front of their new headquarters. Surprisingly the site of the old high school had still been sitting vacant after all of these years. They had purchased it through their lawyers last year and had had this new building built on the site.

It was the headquarters of their new organization. It would be called WOTL Inc. It stood for the Warriors of the Light. On the surface they would be a security firm, but in reality they were an army fighting against the darkness that seeks to overtake the world. They had received funding from various sources to start it. Some of the funding was from the U.S. government. They had made some friends in the military and government and they were being classified as an independent black operations group. Thus they would have complete control over the operation, but would receive partial funding from the government and military. The rest of their funding was from corporate sources, some of which that were hiring them to provide security and others that knew what their real work was. Several years ago Oz and Xander had rescued a number of corporate leaders at a conference from a horde of vampires. These leaders had pledged corporate and personal financing of their operations. On top of this Xander and Oz were also investing some of their own money into it. They had made quite a bit of money working some mercenary jobs over the last nineteen years.

In an hour there would be a celebration and ribbon cutting on the new building. This was for WOTL the security firm. All of the town council and mayor would be there for it. The next day they would have the opening celebration with the people that would be working for them, and their sponsors. This would be the true start of the Warriors of the Light. Over the last couple of weeks their new employees had been moving into the area. They had recruited these people from all over the country and the world. There were a lot of ex-military people, as well as occult experts. They were setting up several departments. There would be the warrior squads that would do the fighting, a research department, various support departments and a magic department. They had found and hired a number of powerful witches and mages to help them in their fight.

Sunnydale, CA  
July 16, 2024

Xander and Oz stood at the one end of a large wooden table in the boardroom of the new WOTL Inc. Filling the room with them were their new employees and their sponsors. They also had a few guests. These were Emily Witherspoon, the retired Watcher and the new Slayer and Watcher, Colleen Johnson and Matthew O'Connell.

"Thank you all for being here. Oz and I would like to express our extreme gratitude to those of you that are financially sponsoring us and our work. We would also like to express our deepest thanks to those of you that have joined us in our fight against the darkness." said Xander.

"I'd like to introduce everyone to the leadership of WOTL Inc. Xander and I are co-leaders of the group. We have structured this in a military fashion. That being said, Xander and I are both Generals. The head of the warrior units will be Colonel Gary Richards. The head of the magical unit will be Master Mage Harold Green. The head of the research department will be Mrs. Theresa Williams. Finally, the head of our support departments is Mr. David Cohen. I'd like to also introduce you to three guests that are here today. You all know about the Slayer and Watchers, well today we have in attendance the current Slayer and her Watcher. These are Colleen Johnson and Matthew O'Connell. We may work with them from time to time. We also have Emily Witherspoon here. She is a retired Watcher who was responsible for the last seven Slayers over the last twenty one years." said Oz.

"Now, before we get to the refreshments we have one thing left to do. To General Osborne and me, this is the most important thing we do. You see behind the two of us three portraits with covers over them. We would like to uncover them at this time." said Xander.

Xander and Oz then took the covers off of the portraits. Everyone saw then that they were of a middle-aged gentleman and two teenage girls.

"These are Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. This building was named in their honor. Buffy was the Slayer from 1996 to her death in 1999. Mr. Giles was her Watcher. Willow Rosenberg was a fledgling witch and an expert researcher. Both Mr. Giles and Willow also died in 1999. The three of them died during the fight against the former Mayor Wilkins during his demonic ascension. General Osborne and I fought alongside these three. They were our closest friends. They are the main reason we fight the good fight. Thank you all again." said Xander.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 18, 2499

"Colonel Johnson, please come in here?" asked Xander. He and Oz were in Xander's office.

Colonel Johnson walked in, came to attention and saluted them. Xander and Oz returned the salute.

"At ease Colonel." said Oz.

"Ben, you will be in charge here while we're in the field. If we should not make it back, then we have left orders that you are to take command of the entire operation. In the safe in this office there are two envelopes. They contain our wills and instructions on what to do with our bodies and possessions. The safe is spell guarded. In the event of our final deaths, Mage in Charge Andy White has one half of the spell. Mr. George Withers, head of the research department in England, holds the other half. Once the spell is cast it will magically confirm our final deaths prior to opening the safe. Once opened you will find the two envelopes I mentioned and the signed orders turning command of WOTL over to you." said Xander.

"I understand Xander, Oz. I hope that I never have to use this spell, though. I am positive that the two of you will come through this fine." said Ben Johnson.

"We thank you for your faith in us, Ben. Take care of the operation for us. We'll see you in a couple of days, God willing." said Oz.

"Best of luck to both of you, my friends. I will pray for your success." said Ben.

He then saluted the two generals and walked out of the office. The generals sat back and thought about the past.

Council of Watchers  
London, England  
January 12, 2025

"Well, gentlemen. You have heard our offer, we will now leave you to your decision." said Xander.

Oz and Xander then got up and walked out of the meeting room of the governing committee of the Council of Watchers. They had come to London to speak to them about an alliance. Xander and Oz recognized the importance of the Council to the fight against the darkness. They hoped to form an alliance between WOTL and the Council. They figured that it would be beneficial to both groups. The Council had the Slayer and some of the rarest sources of research into the occult and the darkness. WOTL on the other hand could supply the warriors and the magic to help the Slayer in her fight against the darkness.

About thirty minutes later Oz and Xander were called back into the meeting room.

"Mr. Harris, Mr. Osborne, we have made a decision. We will ally our selves with your organization. Our research and the Slayer are at your disposal. We wish to have some representation on your board, though." said Lord Abbot, chairman of the Council.

"Thank you gentlemen. You will not regret this. As for representation, we would be honored. We had already planned for this. A governing board runs the senior command of the WOTL operation. On it are the heads of our warrior squads, support groups, magic department and now yourself, Lord Abbot. It is chaired jointly by Mr. Osborne and me. We will arrange for a secure line between here and our headquarters on the Hellmouth. This way you can join us via video link when you can not make it there in person. Thank you once again gentlemen." said Xander.

Xander and Oz walked around the table and shook everyone's hand.

Washington D.C.  
June 19, 2499

It was 10pm EST and Xander and Oz had just finished putting together the attack plan with the squad leaders and others. They had four squads of warriors, the Slayer and her Watcher and six mages and witches with them.

After the planning session in the hotel that they were staying in, Xander ordered all operatives to take some down time before the attack began the next night. Xander and Oz retried to their room to catch some shuteye.

The two of them were sharing a room. They lay down on the two beds and closed their eyes. As they were drifting off their minds drifted back into the past once again.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
April 17, 2120

"Miss, please sit still. I cannot finish this portrait if you keep moving around." said the artist.

"But I'm bored." said Meagan Dougherty. She was the current Slayer, and had been called a year ago. She was only sixteen.

"I am sorry Miss, but I was hired to paint your portrait and I can't do that if you keep moving around." said the artist.

Just then Xander and Oz walked in. They had overheard the complaints.

"Meagan, please stay still. Do this for us, please?" asked Xander.

"Alright." said Meagan. She smiled at the two men. She would do anything they asked. They had been like big brothers to her and had made her time as the Slayer easier.

"Thank you honey." said Oz. He and Xander smiled back at her.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
August 12, 2124

Today was a somber day. Today was the day that the portrait of Megan Dougherty would be unveiled. Though it was painted four years ago, it was not hung until now. This was because WOTL did not hang the portraits until the person had passed on. Sadly Meagan had died during a fight with a demon five days ago. She had been buried two days ago.

Today they would have a small memorial for her here at WOTL headquarters. During this ceremony they would unveil her portrait. Xander and Oz had asked her parents to join them for the memorial. They had agreed. They did not hold her death against them. They knew that if it weren't for them she probably wouldn't have survived for five years as the Slayer. She probably would have died much sooner.

"Thank you all for coming here today. We are here to celebrate the life of Slayer Megan Dougherty. I know that those that worked with her miss her greatly. I can speak for General Harris and myself that we miss her terribly. She was like a little sister to us and we will keep her in our hearts. Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty thank you for coming. We once again offer you our greatest sympathies for your loss, and ours." said Oz.

"Now we'd like to follow a tradition we have here at WOTL. That tradition is the unveiling of the portrait of the Slayer. Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty, would you please do the honor?" asked Xander.

Meagan's parents lifted off the cover over her portrait. Everyone finally got a good look at the portrait that had been painted four years earlier.

"Her portrait now joins the portraits of every other Slayer since 1996 that hang in honor throughout this building." said Oz.

Washington D.C.  
June 20, 2499

Had Xander and Oz had time to think about it they would have laughed at the irony of the date. They were going to take down Angelus, finally, five hundred years to the day that he caused the deaths of Buffy, Willow and Giles. The day that set the two men on the path they were on today.

That is had they had time to think about that. Instead they were more concerned with the reports they were receiving in from their scouts. The two of them were setup in a mobile command post down the street from the nest. They were going over the final plans with their squad commanders.

After they were ready they ordered the squad leaders to ready their troops and to do final weapons checks. They would be starting the attack in about thirty minutes. While the squads were busy preparing, Xander and Oz sat down and took a few minutes to rest a bit before the fight. As they did this their minds drifted back to happier times.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
February 12, 2301

"Xander! Oz!" shouted a young girl while she ran into the command center of WOTL.

It was obvious to everyone in the room that the girl was really happy about something. The two generals came out of their offices to see what was up.

"What's up Kathleen?" asked Oz.

"I did it! I got an A on my history presentation. Thanks so much for the help preparing for it last night." said Kathleen. She was seventeen and the Slayer.

"Congratulations, Kat!" said Xander.

He then swooped in and picked her up into a big hug. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head when he put her back down. She then got another hug and kiss from Oz. She just reveled in the love she was receiving from these two men. She loved them like big brothers. She had for the two years that she had known them. The others in the room just smiled at the show of affection and then turned back to their work.

"Kat, why don't you call home and let them know you won't be home for supper. We're taking you out for pizza to celebrate." said Xander.

"Cool! Can the gang come too?" asked Kat.

"Sure. We'll go at 6pm. Have them meet us here." said Oz.

Kathleen ran off to make her phone calls. Meanwhile, Xander and Oz walked back into their offices, smiling. When Xander got into his office he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey sweetheart. How would you and Marcie like to help Oz and me take out four teens to celebrate with pizza? Kat got an A on her history presentation today. Great! See you at 6pm." said Xander and hung up.

Right at six o'clock Xander and Oz came down the elevators and out into the lobby of the building. Waiting for them were four high school kids and two women. The two women were E.R. Intern, Dr. Linda White and E.R. Nurse, Marcie Brown. They were Xander and Oz's girlfriends. While the two men still missed Buffy and Willow greatly, they still dated.

The two guys came over and kissed their girlfriends. They had met them at Sunnydale General when they had been there visiting some of their men that had gotten injured in a fight.

"Ok everyone, let's go." said Oz.

They walked out of the building and down the street to their favorite pizza shop. They went in and got a table. Shortly thereafter a waitress came over.

"What can I get for you guys?" asked the waitress.

"We'll take a large pepperoni pizza, a large mushroom pizza and a large cheese pizza." said Xander.

They also each ordered their drinks. While they waited for the pizzas they talked about anything and everything.

Washington D.C.  
June 20, 2499

At exactly eight twenty, just after the sunset, Xander and Oz led the troops into the nest. It was located in an old mansion on the outskirts of the town. They had troops located all around the house to stop vampires from escaping, while they led the remaining ones in. Xander led a third in from one side, Oz led a third in from another side, and Slayer Franklin led the rest of them in on a third side. All of the troops had orders to only contain Angelus. They were not to engage him unless they had no choice. Xander and Oz would take care of him personally.

They hit resistance immediately. They had counted on this, though. Xander's forces followed his lead and were taking on the vamps with swords. All of their troops were trained swordsmen and women. They were quickly whittling away at the twenty or so vamps that had attacked them.

On the west side of the building, Slayer Franklin was using the traditional wooden stakes of her profession, while the soldiers that were with her used a combination of stakes and swords. It was just too close to use their guns, loaded with magnesium flares.

Oz and his troops attacked the south end of the mansion. This is where they had expected the heaviest resistance. Oz had several of the witches with him, as well as soldiers. Just before they had entered the building, Oz had transformed into his wolf state. He was now busy tearing vamps apart, left and right. His men knew what he was and stayed clear of him. A few watched his back and took out any vamps trying to sneak up on him while he was busy with ones in front of him.

This fighting went on for about half an hour before the three groups met in the middle of the mansion. Xander took his men upstairs, while Oz led his to the basement. Slayer Franklin led hers up after Xander's, but stayed on the second floor while Xander's continued on to the third.

About ten minutes later the call came over the radios that Angelus had been located on the third floor. He was being contained in a dining room. When he received this call, Oz left Major Higgins in command of his men and flew up the stairs to the third floor. By the time he had gotten there the call came over the radio that the basement, main floor and second floor were confirmed clear of vampires. The third floor was also clear, except for five of them that were in with Angelus.

Oz entered the dining room and transformed back to his human state. He then walked over to where Xander was standing. Slayer Franklin was standing there as well.

"Slayer Franklin, have your men dispose of the five extras. Leave Angelus alone." ordered Oz.

"You heard the General, men. Do it!" ordered the Slayer.

Within five seconds the five other vamps were just piles of dust. Angelus was standing in the middle of the room and looking all around him. He appeared to be actually nervous.

"Everyone will stand back. General Harris and I will handle Angelus alone." ordered Oz.

Their men formed a ring around the walls of the room. Angelus would not be getting out of here alive.

"What's a matter Angelus, looking a little nervous are we?" asked Xander.

"You do remember us, don't you?" asked Oz.

They both were standing there with their swords drawn.

Angelus looked at them for the first time. He seemed to do a double take.

"What are you two? You can't still be alive. That was five hundred years ago." said Angelus.

"We're your Death! That's what we are. We owe you greatly for the deaths of all of those students. We specifically will be avenging the deaths of our friends. You do remember Buffy, Willow and Giles, don't you? Well, tonight you will be paying the price for what you did to them. Don't worry, it will last quite a while. We don't want to cheat you, now do we?" said Oz.

With that the two Generals moved forward and took up position on either side of him.

"When you get to Hell, say hi to Spike and Dru for us. This was the last sight they saw as well." said Xander.

Without warning, Oz stabbed forward and plunged his sword right into Angelus's stomach. Angelus howled in pain. Several priests, rabbis and ministers had blessed their swords over the centuries.

Before Angelus could recover from that Xander swung his sword around and sliced into his shoulder. Oz then swung down and took off a foot. Xander took the other one. They then cut off his hands. While he was bent over Xander swung his sword down and severed his spinal cord.

"Having fun? We hope not! Don't worry, you get to enjoy this for a little while longer before we're done with you." said Xander.

"Watch him! Major, Slayer Franklin, please give us your reports." ordered Oz.

With that the two of them turned their backs on Angelus and took the reports. Angelus continued to howl in pain.

About five minutes later they turned back around.

"Well my enemy, I hope you really enjoyed this little bit of fun. It's now time for you to fall to pieces. You see, frankly we're just tired of hearing you scream. It's not like you really matter at all. You're just another bit of vermin that needs to be disposed of." said Xander.

As soon as he was done he stepped back and Oz stepped forward. Oz leaned down and stared right into his eyes while he lit Angelus's coat on fire.

"This is for the deaths of Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers and Rupert Giles. May you be tortured in Hell for eternity!" shouted Oz.

They then stood there and watched Angelus go up in agonizing flames. When he had finally turned to dust, a corporal walked forward with a glass jar. He collected up all of the dust into it and sealed it shut. Then a priest walked forward and sealed it with holy wax and put a blessing on it. He then presented it to Oz and Xander.

"All right everyone, time to move out. Major Higgins, detail some men to clean up the place. The rest of the men will return to the hotel. We leave for Sunnydale tomorrow at 1100 hours. Good job everyone." said Xander.

With that Oz and Xander led the men out of the mansion.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 21, 2499

It was a little after eight o'clock in the evening. Colonel Ben Johnson had just finished reading the after action report on the raid the previous night. The raid had been a huge success. Angelus was finally dusted. In fact he had watched the Generals place the jar with his dust on the shelf in the boardroom next to the other two jars.

Ben was a little worried about his two superiors, his two friends, though. He was worried that now that they had finally reached their goal, the death of Angelus, they would lose focus. He knew, perhaps better than most, how important they were to this fight. Angelus, though a great victory, was not the end of the war.

Ben left someone in charge for a little while and walked out of the command center. He was in charge right now, while the Generals slept. He walked down to the elevators and took it to the boardroom level. He walked down to the room and entered it. He left orders with the guards that he not be disturbed.

He sat down at the table in his usual spot. It was located in the middle of the table, halfway between Oz and Xander. After them, he was the next in charge of WOTL. He had been working for the organization for over thirty years and he planned to continue for as long as he was able to.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. He called out that he was not to be disturbed. The door opened anyway. In walked several people. They were the other senior leaders of WOTL. They were Master Mage Andy White, Council of Watchers Chairman George Withers and Chief of Operations Thomas Brown. Also, accompanying them was the Slayer, Abigail Franklin and her Watcher, Anne Richardson.

"What can I do for you gentlemen and ladies?" asked Ben.

"We are just as worried as you are Ben. We know what is troubling you. You are worried that Xander and Oz will lose focus now that they have gotten Angelus. We thought that maybe we could sit down and discuss this. Maybe we can come up with a way to keep them focused on the fight." replied Chairman Withers.

They all sat down in their usual spots at the table. They started discussing various ideas. While they were doing this Ben put his head down on the table and said a small prayer. One that hoped that maybe the good Lord could send them a sign that they were still needed. That their time was not yet.

A moment after this prayer was said a bright flash of light filled the room. When it faded a tall and distinguished looking gentleman was standing there in a tweed suit. Everyone just stared at him. He just looked at everyone once and then took a seat at the table. He smiled at each of them. Suddenly Ben gasped. His face had a look of shock on it. He just stared at one of the portraits hanging on the wall directly behind Xander's chair. Everyone's eyes followed where he was looking and suddenly everyone knew who had come among them.

"I see you have figured out who I am, or should I say was. Yes my friends, my name is Rupert Giles. I was the Watcher assigned to Slayer Buffy Summers from 1996 to the time of our mutual deaths in 1999. HE has sent me here. I am here to ease your fears my friends. Your worries about your commanders do you justice, but they are not needed. HE has already foreseen this and has taken steps to resolve it." said Giles.

"How has HE resolved it?" asked a nervous Colonel Johnson.

"HE resolved it by returning to life two whose time had not yet been. These two will return Xander and Oz's wills to the fight for good." said a smiling Giles.

Everyone had a puzzled look on his or her face. Suddenly Abi gasped. She looked like she had figured it out.

"HE returned Them to life, didn't HE?" asked Abi.

"I knew you were a bright girl, Abigail. Yes, that is exactly who HE gave back to them." said a smiling Giles.

One by one the other occupants of the room realized whom they were talking about. All of the eyes in the room were suddenly on the two portraits that hung side by side next to Rupert Giles's.

"Right now Xander is getting a visit from his beloved Buffy Summers and Oz is being visited by his beloved Willow Rosenberg. HE has returned them to life at the time when they would do the most good. They will live once again. This time as Immortals, just like their beloveds. Xander and Oz will return to the fight renewed because they will have them fighting alongside them once again. Before you ask, I am not staying. My time has come and gone here on Earth. I will continue to watch over my 'children' as I have been doing so for these past five hundred years, but I will not be returning to life. I will make a couple of requests of each of you though. First, Buffy will need a Watcher. She will still be a Slayer. You will now have two of them. Chairman Withers, I hope that you will assign Robert Smythe. I know he is a little on the young side, but he will do an excellent job. I would ask you this as a personal favor to me. You see, though he does not know this, he is a descendent of mine. I had a sister who married and had children. He carries the Giles legacy as Watchers into this time. Please inform him of his legacy." said Giles.

"It will be done Mr. Giles. It will be an honor to us all to have another Giles Watcher working with an active Slayer." said Chairman Withers.

"Thank you. The other favor that I will ask of each of you is to accept Buffy and Willow into your organization, and your hearts. These two women are among the finest human beings I ever had the chance to know. I was forever in awe of the bravery of courage that these four children had when we had to confront the evil that sought to destroy the world, and us. I love the four of them dearly and have always held them in my heart like they were my own children." said Giles.

"We will do this Mr. Giles. Thank you for what you have said and done. Also, please tell HIM thank you as well. This eases our minds greatly." said Ben.

He reached over and shook Giles's hand.

"You are welcome. I must be going now. Remember that I will be watching over them still, and you. Tell them of this meeting in the morning. Good bye and good luck." said Giles.

After he made that statement he faded away. The others just continued to sit there for a while longer, thinking over what this great man from the past had said.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Xander's suite a bright white light appeared in the bedroom. Xander lay sleeping in his bed when this happened. When the light disappeared a blonde haired young woman was sitting on Xander's bed.

"Xander?" said a soft feminine voice.

"Xander?" the voice repeated.

Xander slowly came awake and opened his eyes. What he saw nearly took his breath away.

"Buffy?" asked Xander.

She smiled down at him and cupped the side of his face with one of her hands.

"Yes, Xander, it is me."

"How?"

"HE sent me back to you. When I died 500 years ago, it was not my time yet. HE has chosen now to return me to life, and you. HE is very happy with the work that you and Oz have done, and wishes to see you continue in it."

"Oh God! I can't believe that you're back. How long can you stay?"

"This isn't a visit Xander. HE has returned me to life. I am alive again. I am also an Immortal like you."

At that statement Xander pulled her down onto the bed with him and kissed her passionately. She deepened the kiss. Pretty soon they had moved onto other things.

While this was happening in Xander's room a bright light also appeared in Oz's bedroom. When it disappeared, a red haired young woman sat on the edge of Oz's bed.

"Oz, my love?" asked a soft feminine voice.

Oz turned over in his bed to face the voice. He knew that voice. It was one he had not heard in 500 years. He slowly opened his eyes. When he saw her sitting there on his bed he started crying. He couldn't believe that she was actually here.

"Don't cry my darling. It is really I. HE wanted me to tell you that HE is very happy with the work that you and Xander have done."

"How?"

"HE has returned me to life, and to you. HE felt that it was not my time yet that day. HE has chosen this time to return me to life. This is not a visit. I am really here to stay. I am an Immortal, like you and Xander."

Oz pulled her down onto the bed and kissed her. She deepened the kiss almost immediately. They lay like that for awhile before moving onto other things.

WOTL Inc.  
Sunnydale, CA  
June 22, 2499

It was about ten o'clock in the morning when Xander finally woke up. He felt a body next to him in bed. He slowly turned his head to see who it was. When he saw her lying there the memories of last night came flooding back to him. The memories of her return and their sweet lovemaking.

He just lay there watching her sleep, with a smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes. She slowly woke up and saw him watching her. She smiled lovingly up at him.

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you too."

They kissed and then got up out of bed. They washed and dressed. It appeared that she had been provided with a few days' worth of clothes.

After they were dressed Buffy told Xander to contact Oz and to invite him and Willow over for breakfast. Xander did as he was asked. Within ten minutes there was a knock on the door. Xander let them in.

"Willow!" shouted Xander. He grabbed his childhood friend into a big hug.

"Buffy!" shouted Oz. He grabbed her into a hug as well.

They sat down and ate breakfast. While they were doing this Buffy and Willow explained everything to the guys. They even told them that Giles had visited their friends downstairs at the same time that they had come back to them. Xander and Oz were saddened when they told them that Giles was not coming back too. They were happy to hear that he would be watching over them, though. The girls told them that they had also been watching over them these past 500 years.

It was 12 noon when the senior leadership council, along with the Slayer and her Watcher, had received word to report to the boardroom. When the men and women entered they found their commanders standing at one end of the table, with smiles on their faces. Standing next to them were two young women.

The men and women of the council immediately realized who these young women were.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to introduce you to Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg. We understand that Mr. Giles came to you last night and explained the situation to you. Please make these women feel at home here." asked Xander.

The council members walked forward and greeted the two women warmly. Abi gave each of them a hug. She then turned to Xander and Oz and gave them hugs as well.

"I'm so happy for you guys." said Abi to the guys while hugging them.

"Thank you honey." said Oz. Xander smiled at her.

Buffy and Willow also smiled when they witnessed this. They had seen the way that Xander and Oz had treated the Slayers over the last 500 years. They had also talked with the Slayers when they had passed on. All of the girls had felt loved by these two men. This had made their short lives that much better.

They all sat down at the table and talked about everything. Buffy and Willow told them some things about why they were there. They all continued talking for several hours. Among the things that they discussed was Buffy and Willow's positions in the organization. It was decided that Willow would work for Master Mage White, while learning the craft. Buffy, on the other hand, would share Slayer duties with Abi. Abi was fine with this. In the short amount of time that she knew Buffy, she had taken a liking to her. They were told that Watcher Smythe would be arriving within the week. Both Buffy and Willow would be given some time to train and readjust before going on active duty. The two women were comfortable with this.

"Thank you all for accepting Buffy and Willow. It means a lot to us. I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to join Oz and myself upstairs for dinner tonight. I hope that you can all attend. Dismissed." said Xander.

Everyone filed out except the four of them.

"Let's take a walk. We'll show you guys around the organization." said Oz.

They took a walk around the whole building and introduced the two women to a lot of different people. They then took them outside and showed them what Sunnydale had become. They even stopped by the cemetery and showed them the graves.

After they finished at the graves they walked into the park and sat down on a couple of benches.

"Oh God! I still can't believe that you two are back." said Xander. He was staring into Buffy's eyes.

"Believe it mister, because we are." said Buffy. She leaned in and kissed him.

When they broke apart they saw Willow and Oz kissing as well.

"I love you so much Buffy. Don't you ever leave me again." said Xander.

"I don't plan to, ever. I love you too." said Buffy. She sealed that declaration with another kiss.

On the other bench Willow and Oz were talking.

"I promise you Oz, I'm here to stay." said Willow.

"I hope so. I love you so much." said Oz.

"I love you too." said Willow. She then leaned in and kissed him again.

END 


End file.
